Terminal feeding assembly of a crimping machine

Abstract

A terminal feeding assembly includes a translation device having a guide track, a terminal gripper movable along the guide track, and a translation drive connected to the terminal gripper. The translation drive moves the terminal gripper along the guide track from a gripping position outside of a crimping area of a crimping assembly to a crimping position in the crimping area while the terminal gripper grips a terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A terminal feeding assembly, comprising:
 a translation device having a guide track, a terminal gripper movable along the guide track, and a translation drive connected to the terminal gripper, the translation drive moves the terminal gripper along the guide track from a gripping position outside of a crimping area of a crimping assembly to a crimping position in the crimping area while the terminal gripper grips a terminal, the terminal is one of a plurality of terminals fed to the translation device, the terminal gripper grips one of the plurality of terminals separate from a remainder of the plurality of terminals while moving along the guide track, the plurality of terminals are connected by a strip; and 
 a shear assembly separating the one of the plurality of terminals from the strip while the terminal gripper grips the one of the plurality of terminals, the shear assembly includes a shear element, a shear drive, and a cam actuated by the shear drive to move the shear element between an upper position and a lower position. 
 
     
     
       2. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the translation drive includes a translation cylinder and a translation piston disposed in the translation cylinder, the translation piston is connected to the terminal gripper. 
     
     
       3. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the translation drive is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the movement between the retracted position and the extended position moves the terminal gripper between the gripping position and the crimping position. 
     
     
       4. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the terminal gripper includes a gripper actuator and a pair of arms, the pair of arms are connected to the gripper actuator and movable by the gripper actuator toward and away from each other to grip the terminal. 
     
     
       5. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the pair of arms is one of a plurality of interchangeable pairs of arms each connectable to the gripper actuator and each corresponding to one of a plurality of different types of the terminal. 
     
     
       6. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shear element has a shear base, a cutting arm extending from the shear base, and a cutting opening positioned between the cutting arm and the shear base. 
     
     
       7. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the strip is positioned in the cutting opening in the upper position of the shear element and the one of the plurality of terminals is removed from the strip in the lower position of the shear element. 
     
     
       8. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cam rotates a pivot arm to move the shear element between the upper position and the lower position. 
     
     
       9. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a strip feed assembly feeding the plurality of terminals connected by the strip to the shear assembly. 
     
     
       10. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the strip feed assembly includes a post engaging one of a plurality of openings in the strip. 
     
     
       11. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the strip feed assembly includes a strip drive connected to the post and a pair of guide strips, the strip drive moves the post along the guide strips while the post engages one of the openings in the strip to move the strip. 
     
     
       12. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a base, the translation device is attached to the base and the shear assembly is disposed in a shear section of the base. 
     
     
       13. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the base has a guide cover attached to an upper side of the base and defining a crimp wing passageway with the upper side, a plurality of crimp wings of the plurality of terminals are guided along the crimp wing passageway. 
     
     
       14. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a terminal magazine, the plurality of terminals are disposed in the terminal magazine separate from one another and are fed to the translation device along the terminal magazine. 
     
     
       15. A terminal feeding assembly, comprising:
 a translation device having a guide track, a terminal gripper movable along the guide track, and a translation drive connected to the terminal gripper, the translation drive moves the terminal gripper along the guide track from a gripping position outside of a crimping area of a crimping assembly to a crimping position in the crimping area while the terminal gripper grips a terminal, the terminal is one of a plurality of terminals fed to the translation device, the terminal gripper grips one of the plurality of terminals separate from a remainder of the plurality of terminals while moving along the guide track, the plurality of terminals are connected by a strip; 
 a shear assembly separating the one of the plurality of terminals from the strip while the terminal gripper grips the one of the plurality of terminals; and 
 a strip feed assembly feeding the plurality of terminals connected by the strip to the shear assembly, the strip feed assembly includes a post engaging one of a plurality of openings in the strip. 
 
     
     
       16. The terminal feeding assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the strip feed assembly includes a strip drive connected to the post and a pair of guide strips, the strip drive moves the post along the guide strips while the post engages one of the openings in the strip to move the strip. 
     
     
       17. A terminal feeding assembly, comprising:
 a translation device having a guide track, a terminal gripper movable along the guide track, and a translation drive connected to the terminal gripper, the translation drive moves the terminal gripper along the guide track from a gripping position outside of a crimping area of a crimping assembly to a crimping position in the crimping area while the terminal gripper grips a terminal, the terminal is one of a plurality of terminals fed to the translation device, the terminal gripper grips one of the plurality of terminals separate from a remainder of the plurality of terminals while moving along the guide track, the plurality of terminals are connected by a strip; 
 a shear assembly separating the one of the plurality of terminals from the strip while the terminal gripper grips the one of the plurality of terminals; and 
 a base, the translation device is attached to the base and the shear assembly is disposed in a shear section of the base, the base has a guide cover attached to an upper side of the base and defining a crimp wing passageway with the upper side, a plurality of crimp wings of the plurality of terminals are guided along the crimp wing passageway.